2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission disc brakes

[TheDodgeMan69]

In the 10 back section in issue 71. In the second column of page 8. Jim Anderson says the first trucks with rear disc brakes was 2001. 5. I have a 8/00 2500 licensed and titled as a 2001. It has rear disc brakes. So they obiouvsly started the four wheel disc brakes earlier than 2001. 5 Is this true?

 

[Allnew2Me]

The rear disc brakes started in the 2001 model year, but those so-named trucks began manufacture in mid 2000. If you got an early 2001 that was built I think before June or so, you got rear drums. They used up the remaining axles with drums, it was a running change.

Also as part of that change they eliminated the hood liner, hood/cowl seal with the flap, rear wheelwell liners, rear-seat cupholders, halo ring, black antenna, and the visor mirror for the driver. Some trucks have some of these, some have none depending on when it was built and when they ran out of that specific part.

My 2001. 5 has rear discs as well as everything else I listed except the driver mirror, and was built in August of 2000.

 

[WestTN]

No truck is registered as a 2001. 5. They are all produced as 2001's as far as registry is concerned. The 2001. 5 comes from websites as a way of determining whetherr it is an early or late 2001. The rear brake system is the main, if not only, difference.

 

[Fireman Dave]

I ordered my truck in mid February, 2000. By then, it was already model year 2001 (for CAFE reasons). My truck was built in March, 2000, and I took delivery in April, 2000. So I have an early 2001 model with rear drums. I always say it's basically a 2000 with some minor cosmetic differences. The rear discs started showing up around June, I believe.

 

[TheDodgeMan69]

Thank you for clearing that up. I guess Dodge likes to make some things complicated. It will also explain why my friend has the same month and year truck as mine and does't have rear disc brakes. Thanks again.

 

[Shelby Griggs]

There were a few other changes too, at one time I had a list, ONE fairly major change besides the rear disks was I think 4W ABS came as standard and the cruise control was all electronic, no vacuum activation. I can't remember what the other "improvements" were, as already mentioned there was some mostly cosmetic de-contenting going on too, BUT I think that mostly affected the 2002 trucks.



SHG

 

[Allnew2Me]

The cruise control is only electronic on the manual trucks, auto 2001 trucks still have a vacuum pump and cruise actuator. We do however have three-wheel anti-lock brakes. The front two wheels work independently but the rear wheels are read together as one, by the tone-ring on the rear ring-gear in the differential.

 

[Shelby Griggs]

I wasn't aware that the CC was different between the auto and manual trucks, mine is manual so that is all I have looked at in detail. I know the CC on my truck works very well.



SHG

 

[Extreme1]

2000 was a very short year for Dodge trucks. The PT Cruiser came out and helped offset the CAFE standards. Remember the "SPORT 2000" hood stickers? When was the last time you saw one of those?

 

[JMcCoy]

The cruise control is only electronic on the manual trucks, auto 2001 trucks still have a vacuum pump and cruise actuator. We do however have three-wheel anti-lock brakes. The front two wheels work independently but the rear wheels are read together as one, by the tone-ring on the rear ring-gear in the differential.

I am just curious, If there is no vacuum pump, how do the A/C vents work?

 

[Allnew2Me]

Manual trucks do have a pump, it just does not operate the speed-control (cruise) system.



From the service manual (second Gen)



"Vacuum is not used for any part of the speed control system if equipped with a diesel engine and a manual transmission"

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

Trucks early in the "2001. 5" model year got the best of both worlds, rear disk brakes without loosing all the stuff Allnew2me listed. I remember in late 2000/early 2001 members started noticing little stuff missing here and there and it raised a bit of a ruckus. The 2002s were pretty stripped down, in addition to what Allnew2me mentioned they stopped putting the tailgate applique on and stopped painting the engine and radiator (only did clearcoat on the engine). Also the vanity mirror on the driver's side disappeared and the one on the passenger side became miniscule (my '98 by the way has lighted vanity mirrors on both sides even thought it was a moderately optioned SLT).

The 2000 model year only ran about 6 months (July-Dec 1999) and the 2001 model year ran about 18 months, Jan. 2000 to about June 2001. 2002 pretty much followed a normal year except I think they cut it a little short in order to tool up for 3rd Gen production.

 

[CharlieFoxtrot]

Vaughn-- AFAIK, the law relating to model years says that you can start/stop a model year any time you want, BUT any given model year can only be produced during ONE January. So, as I understand it, a year can't go from Jan '00 - Jun '01, because that covers TWO Januarys. So maybe Feb '00 - Jun '01?